Snowflake challenge - 4
Jan. 7th, 2020 08:04 pm
Challenge 4: In your own space, set some goals for the coming year
Personal
2017 en 2018 were difficult years, because during them I discovered that university wasn't the right place for me anymore. The Master's programme I was in was perfect for me on paper, but in reality it wasn't remotely challenging and I was bored out of my mind for the 1,5 years I was in it, until I finally dropped out. As a result, I became very depressed, which forced me to reflect on life and what I wanted from it. Figuring out what you want is hard though. It was much easier to figure out what I didn't want, and throwing those things out of my life was the theme for 2019. I got rid of a lot of things that no longer worked for me. Hobbies, clothes, books, clients, friendships. Some of it painful, some of it a relief, but I like to think that all of it was necessary. I don't think I need to get rid of anything anymore though. I feel like I've stripped my life to the bare bones already. Everything I've left, at least the things I have control over, are things I'm happy with. So in 2020 I'd like to build my life back up. I have room for new hobbies and new friendships now and I intend to actively go looking for those. To be succesful in that, my goals for 2020 are to keep an open mind and not dismiss new opportunities out of fear.
Fandom
- Writing: I've had this fanfic idea in my head for almost 5 years and in 2020 I finally want to write it, dammit. I know the concept has a lot of potential. I have loads of plans for it and I just want to get it all out of my head. I always thought I needed to be much better at writing before I could do this story justice, and that's probably true, but the reality is that I don't want to write anything else. Every other fic I've written in the past few years has been half-hearted at best, because my fingers were secretly itching to write different words. So done with the excuses. In 2020 I want to see this story on paper.
- Bookbinding: There are two books I want to make. The first one will be a collection of my favourite short fics, bound in leather and handwritten, because these fics deserve nothing less. This is going to be a ridiculously time-consuming and ambitious project, but one I'm very excited about. Unfortunately, the binding I have in mind is above my current skill level, so I won't be able to finish it until I'm more confident with leather. The calligraphy, on the other hand, I can already do. I still have a lot of planning and designing to do for this project, but I hope to get started on the calligraphy this summer.
The second book, which is a binding of a wonderful fanfic I read last year, will be much more doable. The design for this is already done; I've had it sharp and clear in my head for months. I'm going to get started on this project tomorrow and want to have it finished in April.
Dear reader,
My life has been ridiculously busy lately. Between my dayjob, househunting, and working on a few bookbinding commissions (!), there has been little time for anything else. Fortunately, however, the end is in sight. After more than half a year of searching, I have finally found a new place! I hope to be moving later this month and after that, my life should be a lot calmer. I can't wait.
( Visiting the Boekkunstbeurs )( Soapmaking update )
The weather in my corner of the world has been very strange all summer. We’re either in a heat wave with temperatures that you might expect in Southern Spain, not Northern Europe. Or it’s cold and raining so hard it seems as if the apocalypse is about to happen. I don’t think we’ve had a normal summer’s day this year. Not a single one. Climate change is very real :/
Anyway, last Saturday was an apocalyptic rain day and I had to go to the post office, so I took my umbrella and ventured out. I actually really enjoy walking in the rain with an umbrella. It always makes me feel like I’m on my own in a tent, listening to the sound of raindrops falling on my roof. Very cosy! Unfortunately, it was raining so hard that day, that I was soaking wet from the waist down after just a 20-minute walk despite the umbrella. It was ok though. I didn’t actually bring it to protect myself from the rain. No, I wanted to protect my backpack. I had very valuable cargo in there, you see. Something that really couldn’t get wet: a book.
( The book )Anyway, last Saturday was an apocalyptic rain day and I had to go to the post office, so I took my umbrella and ventured out. I actually really enjoy walking in the rain with an umbrella. It always makes me feel like I’m on my own in a tent, listening to the sound of raindrops falling on my roof. Very cosy! Unfortunately, it was raining so hard that day, that I was soaking wet from the waist down after just a 20-minute walk despite the umbrella. It was ok though. I didn’t actually bring it to protect myself from the rain. No, I wanted to protect my backpack. I had very valuable cargo in there, you see. Something that really couldn’t get wet: a book.
Book collecting in the wild
Aug. 7th, 2019 06:40 pmHi everyone!
And that, friends, concludes my Deventer buying spree. Another long post about books, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. Have a good day!
I’m back with another book-related post. Last weekend I visited the Deventer Boekenmarkt (the Deventer Book Market), which takes place in Deventer once a year and is apparently the largest book market in Europe. I’m willing to believe that statement, because the market is seriously huge. Half the city centre is covered in stalls and you can find almost any type of book you can imagine there - comics, children’s books, leather-bound tomes from the 18th century, popular novels from last year, art books, even pages from Medieval manuscripts if you’re lucky. Nothing too high-end though, since the market is outdoors and most stalls only accept cash, but there’s still more than enough to choose from. This was my second time visiting, and both times I only managed to go through about half the stalls before all books started to look the same. And before I ran out of money, that too. But it's ok. The market is just amazing. Imagine being with 120.000 other book lovers, who are all friendly and enthusiastic, and having a city all to yourselves. Isn't that great? If any of you ever has the chance to go, take it. It's just such a great experience. And there are plenty of English books for sale as well, so you don't have to learn Dutch first.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share my purchases here. Mostly because I’m proud of what I bought and want to show it off. But if any of you happens to be interested in seeing what a stranger on the other side of the worlds spends her money on, that would be an added bonus.
And that, friends, concludes my Deventer buying spree. Another long post about books, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. Have a good day!
Snowflake Challenge - Days 9, 10, 12 & 13
Jan. 13th, 2019 09:43 pm
Day 9
Commit an act of kindness.
I've done a couple. However, there's one person in this challenge who keeps saying how much they want everyone to add a Transformative Works Statement to their AO3 profile, so I did :D
Days 10 & 12
Day 10: Create a fanwork. Day 12: In your own space, create your own challenge.
I've taken these days together, because the challenge I'm setting for myself is to complete day 10 and create a fanwork. I've always been reluctant to be more personal in my online life and have therefore never mentioned bookbinding in my journal before. Now that I have, however, and received many positive comments about it, I feel so inspired to make more books! So that's what I'll do :D. My personal day 12 challenge will be to bind a fanfic, just for myself, to get some experience with binding actual stories. I'm not sure which fic I want to do yet, but if the book turns out well, I'll share some pics of it here as proof that I've completed day 10 of the Snowflake Challenge ^^
Edit June 2019: It took me three months, but I finally did it and made a book! The result can be found here. My super long post with picturs and details of the binding process is here, though you must have already seen it when you were scrolling down my entries ;)
Day 13
In your own space, set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private (And remember, don't wait until you've achieved your goals to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take to get there!).
- Fannish: Complete day 10/ day 12 of the Snowflake Challenge
- Fannish: Figure out a good fandom/ RL ratio and stick to it. I sometimes spend way too much time on fandom, which takes away from both my offline life and my enjoyment of fandom, so I need to come up with 'a schedule' that works better for me.
- Bookbinding: I want to learn how to sew endbands and preferably try at least 3 different types
- Bookbinding: I want to get at least one step closer to fulfilling my dream of one day doing a full, traditional gothic binding. That might be by getting more experience in working with leather, practice more with rounding and backing, or experimenting with fake ribs.
- Personal: I really need another job. I'm already working on that though and even have an interview in a few days. Fingers crossed!
Snowflake Challenge - Days 4 & 5
Jan. 5th, 2019 09:43 pm
And the Snowflake Challenge continues! I'm combining two days into one post again. Day 4 doesn't actually require a post, but I'd like to write a short evaluation of my experiences with it anyway.
Day 4
Day 5
( Read more... )
Snowflake Challenge - Days 2 & 3
Jan. 3rd, 2019 11:28 pmYay, the next day of the Snowflake Challenge is upon us! I’ve decided to do the 2nd and 3rd challenge in one go, since I think they go very well together.
Snowflake Challenge - Day 2
Snowflake Challenge - Day 3
( Read more... )
Snowflake Challenge - Day 1
Jan. 2nd, 2019 10:59 pmHi all!
I thought it would be fun to participate in the Snowflake Challenge this year. I’ve seen other people’s posts about it in the past and was always intrigued, but I’ve never participated before. Since I finally have a bit more time on my hands and the challenge is running right now, I’'m going to dive right in :D
Fandom Snowflake Challenge – Day 1
In your own space, talk about your Happy Place – the things that give you joy, calm you or keep you sane.
Beautiful old books. I have always been a massive bibliophile and love everything about books. Books take centre stage in my home, my studies, my hobbies and half my daydreams. There’s very little that makes me more excited than admiring the craftsmanship of an antique handbound book. Luckily, as an old book collector, I have a few of them, so I can look at them whenever I want to!
Bookbinding. This is not very surprising after my previous ‘happy place’, but I don’t just want to look at books, I like to make them too. I’m a very crafty person and have always had lots of crazy hobbies, but bookbinding is one of the few that I’ve been doing regularly for years now. I've experimented with it on my own for a few years, but I’m currently taking lessons from a professional bookbinder to learn the techniques properly, and I’m enjoying it a lot! Now that I’ve bound a book for![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
acid, I’m also playing with the idea to offer my services to fanfiction writers. I’m sure there are a couple out there who’d love to see their work bound. I’m not yet confident enough in my skills to accept commissions though, but maybe one day.
I love music and my taste is quite varied, so it's hard to pick a favourite song. However, if I had to, I'd probably pick Medusa by Brendan Perry, a dark, melancholic Gothic song. This is one of the few songs that I can listen to over and over again without getting bored. Brendan’s slow, drawling singing voice is just fantastic. The song is sad and hauting, but also very beautiful and I love it to bits.
Running water. I adore the feeling of water falling on my skin. Whether it’s in the shower or outside in the rain; it doesn’t really matter. I drove my parents to exasperation when I was younger because I would take forever to shower. They gave me all kinds of weird punishments to get me to be faster, but it never worked and they gave up when I was 16. Right now I try to be a little more careful with it, due to environmental concerns. However, since I was raised a vegetarian and therefore never directly contributed to the bio industry and all the pollution that comes with it, I allow myself to indulge in a super long shower every now and then.
Hiking. Going for a hike is one of my favourite things to do. Luckily I have a few friends who love it too and we regularly go out for looooong walks. I love it even more if we go on a multi-day hike and combine it with camping. Being out and about in nature and having the freedom to put your tent anywhere and wake up to the most beautiful views is the best feeling in the world!
Reading fanfic after midnight. I’m a die-hard evening person and especially love the time after midnight, when most people are in bed and I feel as if I have the whole world to myself. Reading fanfic is my favourite activity at that time. I feel very calm at night, hardly troubled by my daytime stress, so I’m in a much better space of mind to enjoy a good story than I am during the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I can’t keep this night owl schedule anymore now that I’m working and I dearly miss it. But I go back to my crazy bed times and indulge in all the fic whenever I have a few days off.
I thought it would be fun to participate in the Snowflake Challenge this year. I’ve seen other people’s posts about it in the past and was always intrigued, but I’ve never participated before. Since I finally have a bit more time on my hands and the challenge is running right now, I’'m going to dive right in :D
Fandom Snowflake Challenge – Day 1
In your own space, talk about your Happy Place – the things that give you joy, calm you or keep you sane.
Beautiful old books. I have always been a massive bibliophile and love everything about books. Books take centre stage in my home, my studies, my hobbies and half my daydreams. There’s very little that makes me more excited than admiring the craftsmanship of an antique handbound book. Luckily, as an old book collector, I have a few of them, so I can look at them whenever I want to!
Bookbinding. This is not very surprising after my previous ‘happy place’, but I don’t just want to look at books, I like to make them too. I’m a very crafty person and have always had lots of crazy hobbies, but bookbinding is one of the few that I’ve been doing regularly for years now. I've experimented with it on my own for a few years, but I’m currently taking lessons from a professional bookbinder to learn the techniques properly, and I’m enjoying it a lot! Now that I’ve bound a book for
acid, I’m also playing with the idea to offer my services to fanfiction writers. I’m sure there are a couple out there who’d love to see their work bound. I’m not yet confident enough in my skills to accept commissions though, but maybe one day. I love music and my taste is quite varied, so it's hard to pick a favourite song. However, if I had to, I'd probably pick Medusa by Brendan Perry, a dark, melancholic Gothic song. This is one of the few songs that I can listen to over and over again without getting bored. Brendan’s slow, drawling singing voice is just fantastic. The song is sad and hauting, but also very beautiful and I love it to bits.
Running water. I adore the feeling of water falling on my skin. Whether it’s in the shower or outside in the rain; it doesn’t really matter. I drove my parents to exasperation when I was younger because I would take forever to shower. They gave me all kinds of weird punishments to get me to be faster, but it never worked and they gave up when I was 16. Right now I try to be a little more careful with it, due to environmental concerns. However, since I was raised a vegetarian and therefore never directly contributed to the bio industry and all the pollution that comes with it, I allow myself to indulge in a super long shower every now and then.
Hiking. Going for a hike is one of my favourite things to do. Luckily I have a few friends who love it too and we regularly go out for looooong walks. I love it even more if we go on a multi-day hike and combine it with camping. Being out and about in nature and having the freedom to put your tent anywhere and wake up to the most beautiful views is the best feeling in the world!
Reading fanfic after midnight. I’m a die-hard evening person and especially love the time after midnight, when most people are in bed and I feel as if I have the whole world to myself. Reading fanfic is my favourite activity at that time. I feel very calm at night, hardly troubled by my daytime stress, so I’m in a much better space of mind to enjoy a good story than I am during the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I can’t keep this night owl schedule anymore now that I’m working and I dearly miss it. But I go back to my crazy bed times and indulge in all the fic whenever I have a few days off.
